Eyes/Non-crusty Little Bear's ouchie eye

The diarrhea/soft poop is doing better. Whoever had it, it started to form up a little better yesterday and I haven't seen any yet today when I cleaned their cage. I bought them some Benebac (yet again) too.

The ciprofloxacin we got at the vet last week seems to actually be helping, because Little Bear doesn't have any nasty discharge. His eye looks very clean, but still recessed/not normal.

We got the culture back and there was no antibiotic resistant bacteria. It was all basic stuff that tobramycin should have taken care of. The vet said we can finish what we're on now (cipro?) and if it doesn't fully improve, we could remove the eye. She thinks there's something up with the eye where it gets infected, gets better, and gets bad again, since the meds should have handled this. Overall, he is still doing well!

So glad to hear he's doing well and that it really isn't anything that major!

I almost feel like removing the eye isn't a bad idea anyway. He can't see out of it so he won't be missing anything, other than pain and infection.

I understand his age and surgery complications are a concern.

Guinea Pig Papa said:

So glad to hear he's doing well and that it really isn't anything that major!

I almost feel like removing the eye isn't a bad idea anyway. He can't see out of it so he won't be missing anything, other than pain and infection.

I understand his age and surgery complications are a concern.

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I'm working on saving the money and started a gofundme also. I have carecredit, but I hate monthly payments and I have student loans to pay back once the hold ends in October. I can't handle payments on both right now. He can't blink anyway, and he doesn't like eyedrops daily. He's gotten a LOT better at being handled since I have to give him eyedrops. He will sit on my lap and lets me hold him without much of a fuss.

I got the new estimate and it's about $1200 at the highest. Much more doable for us. I still want to save up $ and not use carecredit.

They don't want Gimbly to come along for support so LB has to go in alone. There's no fasting, and I need to bring any food, hay, etc for him. They also asked to bring his water bottle. I'm thinking of bringing him in a laundry basket with some fleece or washable pee pads they use, and getting a new bottle to hook up to the basket with velcro or something. I could put the basket in the c and c cage so they can still be together in some way. Mostly I'm worried about their bond getting screwed up or either of them getting lonely. Their bond is probably fine because Little Bear and Gimbly are both super gentle and never fight/bicker in any way.

Mostly I'm just worried about the surgery...getting his eye removed isn't a big deal at eye, but the potential results worry me.

Surgeries are always a gamble. It sucks, but you already know there are no guarantees. Odds are he'll be just fine.

Little Bear and Gimbly hit it off really well the first time. I see no reason for them not to do the same, if it comes to that. Again, there are no guarantees but those two just seem to really need each other and I feel like they will be ok, come what may.

(upside down again and too lazy to fix!)

No change in the eye. Cleared off a lot of dried up stuff. Student loan repayment was postponed again in the USA, so that makes paying his surgery easier.

About a month ago I spent a lot of my saved up money to buy a scooter. If I hadn't done that, then money for this wouldn't be an issue.

I'm going to try my hardest to pay it myself and not use Carecredit.

I'll be researching aftercare in the mean time. Pain meds and Critical Care was included on his estimate. I'm going to find section off their cage so he can still be in there with Gimbly. The two of them being lonely is what bothers me the most. Little Bear will be alone at the vet and Gimbly will be alone in the cage wondering where his brother is.

I just want to do everything I can for them. It isn't fair that Bruin and L Bear had to go thru this. Poor Bruin with his heart and Little Bear with his eye.

@4boipigs...first I want to say thank you for documenting this journey with Little Bear.

Bruin and Little Bear were so lucky to have landed in your care. Their life before wasn't fair, but it was just part of their difficult journey to get to you. They were actually some of the lucky ones.

I think that you have the experience and expertise working with Gimbly and Little Bear that after the surgery and recovery you will have the patience to get them back together.

Just remember, all of us here on the forum are wishing you and them well through it all.

I’m wishing the best for Little Bear. He’s in good hands with you.

I have the appt scheduled for Sept 17, and I'll be taking a few days off to make sure he is okay. After that, I'll just have to take them to work with me if something comes up. By then I should have enogh money and some extra saved up to pay for it all. I'm scared for anesthesia risks still.

4boipigs said:

I have the appt scheduled for Sept 17, and I'll be taking a few days off to make sure he is okay. After that, I'll just have to take them to work with me if something comes up. By then I should have enogh money and some extra saved up to pay for it all. I'm scared for anesthesia risks still.

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We are all watching this thread and hoping the best for Little Bear and for you. Anesthesia risks are of course there and you are well aware of them. I firmly believe the odds are in your favour. And I believe that Little Bear will come through this just fine. He has a mom that loves him now and he's had the best shot in life he's likely ever had. I don't think he's come this far just to have it all taken away.

Of course, please keep us updated. All our thoughts and positive energy from myself and my boys are being sent your way.

Woke up to this. Looks like the eye ulcer grew bigger or burst. His eye had been looking really good the past few days. I was able to move his surgery to next week but he probably needs to see a doctor. Idk what to do.

He is still acting "fine"

Little Bear's eye is looking better today. I can tell there is a huge ulcer but it isn't as red and scary looking as yesterday. Hopefully it'll just calm down til his surgery next Friday.

Now his eye has bloody discharge. His surgery is Thursday. The area looks wet because I just gave him eye drops.

Poor little man. Thursday can't come fast enough.

So far there hasn't been any bloody discharge since that one time yesterday. Seems the eye is having periods of looking quite bad and then recovering.

I do need some advice on aftercare. Since I decided to move his surgery to this week, I have to work 12 hours the day after, on Friday. Then I am off Saturday. I come home at noon usually for lunch. So he will have me til 7am, then noon, and then I'll be home at 6.30pm. OR I can take him and Gimbly to work (at a vet). At work, I put them in a kennel in our cat area. I don't know if I should leave them home or bring them with me. If he is eating on his own, will he okay left alone at home?

I'm worried about them being alone too...Gimbly will be alone the whole day on Thursday, assuming they don't want to keep Little Bear overnight. Little Bear has already demonstrated he does poorly when alone, but he'll only be alone at the vet and then he'll have Gimbly again.

I'd take them with me.

I dropped off L Bear alone at the vet. I got the housing situation sorted out for when he comes home. I'll be working 6 hours tomorrow instead of 12, and the rest of the weekend off. Plenty of time to watch L Bear. The vet is open 7 days a week, so if something happens we can go back. They said pick up is after 5.

Fingers crossed and positive thoughts for Little Bear, for an easy procedure and swift recovery.

The vet called and said he is waking up from surgery. He's responding to light but groggy. They'll call later to decide if he should stay overnight, or if he is eating on his own he can go home. They also want to send off the eye for testing to see why it's having such issues (like cancer). So all that must mean there is nothing behind the eye causing problems and his teeth may be fine...the cost should be below or at the $1200 estimate so I went ahead with the testing.